News Releases

MOBILE, Ala. - The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to accept unwanted, live Christmas trees for recycling Dec. 26, 2016 through Jan. 13, 2017 at West Point Lake.Artificial trees will not be accepted. The trees may be dropped off in the parking lots of Yellow-jacket Boat Ramp and Sunny Point Boat Ramp in Georgia, or Rocky Point Boat Ramp in Alabama. All decorations – tinsel, lights, garland, bulbs, etc. – must be removed from the trees before dropping them off.Please place the trees in the designated locations in the parking lots. Dumping of household trash at these sites is strictly prohibited. Park Rangers will place trees in the lake to create fishing structure at various locations.

Individuals who wish to place their own Christmas trees in the lake are reminded to avoid placing them in boating channels and to follow the guidelines below:

Do not place the trees where they could become safety hazards to boaters or swimmers.For example, trees should not be placed near boat launching ramps, in shallow boat traffic channels, or at swimming areas.

Use a suitable anchoring system to prevent the trees from floating away or moving around.A cement block will work well as an anchor, but it must be securely fastened to the tree using nylon twine or a similar material.

Trees will attract more fish if they are placed in deeper water and in an area where the water depth changes significantly, such as an underwater ridge or hump.

Although a permit is not necessary to place a few Christmas trees in the lake, anglers who wish to install large numbers of trees or other types of structure for fishing reefs should contact the West Point Project Management Office at 706/645-2937.For additional information on West Point Lake visit our website at: http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/WestPointLake.aspx